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Supermarkets in New Jersey and New York part of a family-owned supermarket chain rallied together and raised over $200,000 to fight diabetes.

Inserra Supermarkets donated the funds to the Diabetes Research Institute and its Foundation. Funds will be used to launch a Lindsey Inserra-Hughes Immune Tolerance Seminar Series to Advance Immunology Research for Type 1 Diabetes.

The inaugural meeting of this new seminar series was held this fall at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The forum provides the opportunity for DRI and University of Miami scientists to share new knowledge and ideas.

The goal is the getting the leading immunologists worldwide talking to one another about their latest work and approaches to establish immune tolerance and reverse autoimmunity, the disease process that causes the onset of type 1 diabetes.

"I'm so honored and humbled to be part of such an important program that gives the world's leading immunologists the opportunity to come together and focus on one of the most critical issues in type 1 diabetes," said Lindsey Inserra-Hughes, who is the vice president of marketing and corporate retail health and wellness of Inserra Supermarkets. “The DRI has made extraordinary progress in restoring natural insulin production and its major focus on the immune system and autoimmunity gives me real hope for a biological cure.”

Each year, Inserra Supermarkets holds the month-long fundraiser at its 22 ShopRite stores located in New Jersey and New York as well as at its PriceRite in Garfield, N.J. Danielle Wares, an associate of ShopRite of Hoboken, raised the most donations during this year’s campaign.

“It’s the generous spirit of our customers and dedication of our associates that made this event such a tremendous success,” said Inserra-Hughes, who lives with type 1 diabetes.

Inserra-Hughes, who serves as the Young Professionals' Chair of the DRIF’s Northeast Region Board of Directors, and her family have been tireless advocates for diabetes research for decades. “My family and I are truly thankful for everyone’s efforts,” she added.

Inserra Supermarkets is well respected as a good corporate citizen committed to improving the lives of local residents and providing support to numerous nonprofit organizations. Its ShopRite locations in New Jersey include Bayonne, Columbia Park, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Jersey City, Lodi, Lyndhurst, New Milford, Northvale, Palisades Park, Ramsey, Wallington, Wayne and West Milford. In New York, locations include Garnerville, New City, Stony Point, Tallman and West Nyack.

Pictured are (left to right): Rosario Prestigiacomo, associate of ShopRite of Hoboken; Antoinette Fabrizio, associate with ShopRite of Hoboken; Ron Lusk, store manager of ShopRite of Hackensack; Danielle Wares, associate at ShopRite of Hoboken; John Pimont, assistant manager of ShopRite of Hoboken; Bonnie Inserra; Lawrence Inserra Jr., chairman and CEO of Inserra Supermarkets; Lindsey Inserra-Hughes, vice president of marketing and corporate retail health and wellness of Inserra Supermarkets; Joshua Rednik, president and CEO of the DRIF; Bill Petsch, store manager of ShopRite of Hoboken; Vera Kovalski, director of operational excellence of Inserra Supermarkets; Teresa Dooley, associate at ShopRite of Hoboken; Sean O'Sullivan, assistant manager of ShopRite of Hoboken; and Tom Karlya, vice president of the DRIF.